Demographics, Debt, and Practice Intentions of Medical Residents Training in Canada

Abstract

Many international medical graduates (IMGs) are unable to find residency positions in Canada. A growing proportion are “Canadians studying abroad” (CSAs) trying to return to Canada. We examine the characteristics and practice intentions of residents in Canada: IMGs excluding CSAs, CSAs, and Canadian medical school graduates (CMGs). CSAs and CMGs appear to be similar, but IMGs do not in key instances. IMGs are substantially less likely to state that they intend to practise where they trained or in Canada, controlling for characteristics. This adds support to previous findings indicating that regions relying on IMGs to provide health care may experience ongoing challenges.